Jamaican National Sentenced to Federal Prison for Role in Lottery Fraud Scheme

Baltimore, Maryland - A Jamaican national is heading to federal prison for more than three years in connection with a lottery fraud scheme.

U.S. District Judge Brendan A. Hurson sentenced Tavoy Farquharson, 34, to 40 months in federal prison, followed by two years of supervised release, today, for conspiracy to commit mail fraud. Judge Hurson also ordered him to pay $3,962,826 in restitution.

Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the sentence with Postal Inspector in Charge Damon E. Wood, U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) - Washington Division; Special Agent in Charge Christopher R. Heck, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) - Maryland; Assistant Inspector General for Investigations Javan S. Wilson, U.S. Treasury, Office of Inspector General (Treasury OIG); and Chief George Nader, Prince George's County Police Department (PGPD).

According to public filings, beginning in October 2020, and continuing through at least January 2024, Farquharson conspired with others to use the mail to obtain money from victims across the United States. Many victims impacted by the scheme were elderly.

Perpetrators use a lottery fraud scheme to lead victims to believe they won a large cash prize through a lottery or sweepstakes. When it's time to collect the purported winnings, the victim is falsely led to believe that they must pay taxes or other fees in advance. The victim never receives their winnings, but instead, loses their advanced fees or payments.

In this case, Farquharson and his co-conspirators solicited victims and led them to believe that they won a lottery or sweepstakes. Then they misled the victims to think that they were required to pay taxes and other fees in advance to the attention of Farquharson's co-conspirators. Some victims of the scheme lost most of their life savings. In total, the court found that the victims lost more than $3.5 million, with Farquharson receiving more than $700,000 of the victims' funds.

Brothers Dwayne Henry, 34, and Wayne Henry, 36, both of Landover Hills, Maryland, along with Nickoy Campbell, 30, a Jamaican national, also participated in the scheme. They all previously pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud. Campbell and Dwayne Henry pled guilty to the charges, and earlier this month, they received their prison sentences.

Wayne Henry faces a maximum sentence of 22 years in federal prison, including a mandatory sentence of two years consecutive to any other imposed sentence for aggravated identity theft. Sentencing for Wayne Henry is slated for Wednesday, September 2.

This case is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative, which seeks to end the presence of criminal cartels, foreign gangs, and transnational criminal organizations through a collaborative and comprehensive response to the growing threat to public safety and national security. The HSTF integrates personnel, including law enforcement agents, intelligence analysts, and professional staff, from federal agencies to combat crime in our communities.

Reporting from consumers about fraud and fraud attempts is critical to law enforcement's efforts to investigate and prosecute schemes targeting older adults. If you or someone you know is age 60 or older, and has been a victim of financial fraud, help is available. Call the National Elder Fraud Hotline at 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311). This Department of Justice Hotline, managed by the Office for Victims of Crime, is staffed by experienced professionals who provide personalized support to callers through assessing the needs of the victim and identifying next steps, including identifying appropriate reporting agencies, providing information to callers to assist them in reporting or connecting them with agencies, and providing resources and referrals on a case-by-case basis. The hotline is staffed from 10 a.m.-6 p.m., Monday through Friday. English, Spanish, and other languages are available. Learn more about the Department's Elder Justice Initiative at www.elderjustice.govLinks to other government and non-government sites will typically appear with the "external link" icon to indicate that you are leaving the Department of Justice website when you click the link.. Victims are encouraged to file a complaint online with the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center at this website or by calling 1-800-225-5324.

U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the USPIS, HSI, Treasury OIG, and PGPD for their investigative efforts. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Philip Motsay who is prosecuting the federal case.

For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney's Office, its priorities, and resources available to report fraud, please visit justice.gov/usao-md and justice.gov/usao-md/report-fraud.

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